Department for Transport

Shipping: Industrial Injuries

earl attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for fatalities and injuries involving confined spaces in the fishing and maritime industries in England.

baroness sugg: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) undertakes rigorous investigations into accidents and incidents to ensure that the causes can be understood and lessons learned. There have been a number of accidents involving fatalities, and multiple fatalities, within the maritime sector. MAIB has issued a number of Safety Bulletins following these incidents (2/2008, 3/2014 and 4/2018) highlighting the risks. The reasons for these accidents have generally been attributed to:complacency leading to lapses in procedure;lack of knowledgepotentially dangerous spaces not being identified; andwould-be rescuers acting on instinct and emotion rather than knowledge and training (rushing into enclosed spaces without assessing the dangers).As a result of MAIB recommendations a paper was submitted to the International Maritime Organization to raise awareness of enclosed space entry accidents. This has led to changes in the guidance issued at international level by the International Maritime Organization. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency publishes comprehensive guidance which reflect these findings and best practice including the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (COSWP), which it is mandatory for all merchant ships to carry a copy of, the Fisherman’s Safety Guide and Marine Guidance Notes.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote awareness amongst owners of diesel vehiclesof the impact of those vehicles on air quality.

baroness sugg: In July 2018 the Government published the Road to Zero strategy, which includes an assessment of the impact of diesel vehicles on air quality and their role in the transition to zero emissions. The strategy included a commitment to set up a new Road Transport Emissions Advice Group. The group brings together Government, industry and consumer groups to help ensure clear and consistent consumer messaging and advice is provided on their fuel and technology choices. Its first meeting was held in November.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that estimates of land and property costs for HS2 given to the House of Commons were wrong; and what estimate they have made of the actual costs.

baroness sugg: The HS2 land and property budget has evolved as the programme has developed. The Government welcomed the National Audit Office (NAO) report in September 2018 into the HS2 Phase One property acquisition programme. The report found that the property cost estimate had increased significantly from 2012 to 2017 and set out that this kind of change was to be expected on a large complex project such as HS2. The NAO noted that the increase included route changes as a result of public consultation, in response to the requests of petitioners during the parliamentary process leading up to Royal Assent and the introduction of additional property compensation schemes. There is also the fact that detailed land cost assessments were not possible until after Royal Assent was achieved, and re-assessing land values from 2011 prices. The Government followed the correct process in terms of how it updated Parliament of the Phase One property costs. As reported by the NAO, HS2 Ltd has forecasted that the cost to acquire land and property for Phase One of the route would be £3,356 million

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport on 3 Februaryon the feasibility study into the value of reopening the Skipton–Colne railway for passenger services and as a new freight connection between the North-West and North-East, what progress they have made on that study; whether the consultants have completed the study and delivered it to the Secretary of State and to Transport for the North; and when they expectto announce whether the proposal will be taken to the next stage.

baroness sugg: The feasibility study into the reinstatement of the Skipton-Colne rail link as part of a route for passengers and freight, carried out in partnership with Transport for the North, has only very recently been completed and submitted to the Secretary of State. The Government is considering next steps and expects to make an announcement shortly.

Shipping

baroness scott of needham market: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of short sea shipping in the UK.

baroness sugg: We fully support the development of short sea shipping in the UK and recognise the benefits increased uptake could provide as a means of freight transportation. To better understand the markets for coastal shipping and inland waterways we have commissioned a study to explore the opportunities, barriers and the potential for mode shift from inland transport networks. Furthermore, the Department’s forthcoming strategy – Maritime 2050 – recognises the role of short sea shipping and, more widely, sets out how the UK can remain a key competitive maritime nation through meeting the challenges of the future and taking advantage of the opportunities that arise, include those in freight transport.

*No heading*

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether to introduce, or revise, legislation governing the permitted extent of leg room between rows of airline seats; and what consideration has been given over the last eight years to the needs of outsize or very tall people.

baroness sugg: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certify the maximum seating capacity of aircraft types to ensure that safety requirements and seat standards (e.g. fire resistance, strength) are met. The government does not have plans to introduce new regulations regarding the leg room available between rows of seats on different aircraft. Seat size and pitch is a commercial matter for airlines, provided that they meet the certification requirements around safety. Many airlines choose to make seats with more legroom available at extra cost.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Productivity

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the annual growth rates of labour productivity in each year since 2000; and what rates they forecast for each year to 2022.

lord henley: Growth in labour productivity, 2000 – 2022Year  (f – forecast)Output per hour worked, % change on previous year, seasonally adjusted20003.220011.520022.420032.920041.220052.020061.820071.52008-0.62009-1.520101.320111.12012-0.72013-0.420140.620151.020160.520170.82018f0.82019f0.82020f0.92021f1.02022f1.1The table presents past and projected annual growth rates of UK labour productivity defined as output per hour worked.The growth rates for the period 2000 to 2017 were obtained from the ONS (Labour productivity time series (PRDY), UK Whole Economy: Output per hour worked % change per annum SA, released 5th October 2018, link)The projected future growth rates (2018 – 2022) were published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook – October 2018 (page 87, Table 3.10 Detailed summary forecast, link)

Productivity

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that the productivity gap between the UK and other developed countries is less than previously thought.

lord henley: This analysis is a welcome initiative by the OECD to improve the international comparability of productivity statistics. It was initiated in response to a request from the ONS to examine how different countries go about measuring total hours worked (which are required to calculate output per hour worked). When calculating labour productivity there is a trade-off between using the best available data sourced from different countries’ national accounts, or data compiled on the most consistent basis. The OECD research finds that while for many countries this choice makes a minor difference, for the UK it has a larger effect and improves our performance relative to other countries. The ONS is examining how best to incorporate these findings into their international comparisons of labour productivity and plans to publish an article on this in January 2019; including more detailed breakdowns of how the UK compares with other developed countries on a more consistent basis.

Antibiotics: Research

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research and development into new antibiotics or close substitutes United Kingdom Research and Innovation is funding.

lord henley: UK Research and Innovation is currently investing over £150m for research and discovery to tackle the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including the development of new antibiotics, through schemes including the UK AMR Cross Council Initiative and the Biomedical Catalyst.

Climate Change: Greater London

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Mayor of London's new climate change plan in response to what he has described as a climate emergency; what discussions they have had with him on that matter; and what steps they intend to take in relation to that plan.

lord henley: We agree with the Mayor of London on the importance of climate change - it is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today. We welcome the action that London and other cities across the country are taking to cut emissions and seize the economic opportunities of clean growth. BEIS officials are in frequent contact with colleagues from the Greater London Authority to discuss issues relating to climate change. Our Governments action builds on the UK’s strong performance to date, reducing emissions by over 40% since 1990 while growing the economy by more than two thirds.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cuba: Religious Freedom

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to support calls from Cuban Catholic and Protestant religious leaders to include protections for freedom of religion or belief and freedom of conscience in the new constitution of Cuba in line with international human rights law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK welcomes the proposed constitutional reforms in Cuba, which we hope will improve the political, social and economic rights of the Cuban people, including guarantees for freedom of religion and belief. However, human rights violations, including against freedom of religion or belief, remain a cause for concern. The Minister for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, raised these concerns most recently during his meeting with the Cuban Foreign Minister in November. The UK also addresses these issues through multilateral human rights fora, including the UN Universal Periodic Review and the EU-Cuba Human Rights Dialogue.

Government Hospitality: Wines

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 21 November (HCWS1098) in relation to the annual financial report for the Government’s hospitality wine cellar, what saving they estimate might be made by substituting English and Welsh wines with comparable wines from elsewhere.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government Hospitality wine cellar supplies wines and spirits for official business hospitality offered by Government Ministers to a range of domestic and international guests. The cellar has a clear objective of being able to supply the highest quality wines from around the world at the best prices, by purchasing wines young and relatively inexpensive and keeping them until they are ready to drink. The cellar has been a supporter of the UK wine industry for over 25 years and stocks a range of English and Welsh still and sparkling wines. However, some UK wines can cost more than some imported wines, and Government Hospitality must always strike a careful balance between the proper expenditure of taxpayers' money and the desire to promote UK produce. The stocking of the cellar is carefully managed to achieve the best value for money.

Afghanistan: Terrorism

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Afghanistan following the car bombing at the G4S compound in Kabul last month; and what implications this incident has for the security of the British embassy in Kabul.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We condemn the attack on the G4S compound on 28 November. Our sincere condolences go to the families, friends and colleagues of all those affected. Afghanistan continues to face significant security challenges and the Government of Afghanistan remains determined to build a better future for its people. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) have had some notable successes against Taliban forces over the last year. The uplift in advisory support by the UK and NATO demonstrates our continued commitment to support the development of the ANDSF, and to support NATO objectives.We do not discuss the security arrangements of our overseas network. Nevertheless, we keep security under constant review and respond to any developments as appropriate. The safety of our staff is paramount.

Burma: Rohingya

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to persuade the Bangladeshi authorities not to proceed with the proposed involuntary repatriations of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar after the general election on 30 December.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mr Field, raised our concerns about this issue with Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, and Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November, and with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Ali on 15 November. We will continue to make representations to the governments of both Bangladesh and Burma not to commence returns while conditions in northern Rakhine remain as they are.The British Government has been consistently clear that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Burma should only take place in conditions that are voluntary, safe and dignified. We welcome that the Government of Bangladesh has publicly confirmed its continued commitment to the principle of voluntary refugee return. We have stated publicly that we agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The access required for necessary independent monitoring by UN agencies is also not in place.

Russia: Ukraine

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what long-term strategy they have formulated to deal with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Russia's pattern of aggression undermines the international rules-based system. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK is open to a different relationship, if Russia changes its behaviour. Ukraine is on the front line of Russia's aggressive actions. Russia has illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula, continues a conventional conflict in eastern Ukraine, and, most recently, has fired on Ukrainian ships. The UK is fully committed to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally-recognised borders. The UK is working with international partners to resolve the conflict peacefully and helping Ukraine to strengthen its democracy and institutions. It is imperative that Russia abides by its commitments under the Minsk Agreements and withdraws its forces from all of Ukraine, including Crimea. We fully support EU sanctions which will remain in place until there is progress on the Minsk process, and the Crimean peninsula is returned to Ukraine. To deal with the conflict, Her Majesty's Government provides substantial technical, development and political support to Ukraine in areas which include good governance, anti-corruption and defence reform and capability.

Syria: Conflict Resolution

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, reported any progress having been made during the 11th round of Astana talks on Syria held on 28–29 November.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In his public statement of 29 November on the 11th round of Astana talks, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, reported some "initial, although still very limited, movement" on the issue of detainees in Syria but expressed "deep regret" that the talks had made "no tangible progress in overcoming the ten-month stalemate on the composition of the constitutional committee".

Gibraltar: Spain

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of a Spanish navy warship sailing near Gibraltar’s waters; and what action they are taking in response.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​There was an incursion by a Spanish navy warship on 4 December into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). As with all incursions, the Royal Navy challenged the vessel. When challenged, the Spanish navy vessel left BGTW. We have made a formal diplomatic protest to Spain regarding this incident, as we do with all such incursions into BGTW.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Wheelchairs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of sufficient wheelchairsin NHS hospitals for disabled people visiting patients.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is provided to NHS Hospital Trusts about the provision of wheelchairs for disabled people visiting patients.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the information provided to disabled people visiting NHS patients about the availability of wheelchairs in NHS hospitals is adequate.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to NHS hospital trusts about policies concerning the availability of wheelchairs for disabled visitors, in particular on the review and publication of those policies.

lord o'shaughnessy: No central guidance is provided by the Department and no such assessments have been made. All National Health Service trusts as public organisations are subject to the general duty in the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to the need to take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it. Disability is a protected characteristic.

Social Services: Finance

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Green Paper on social care funding in England will be published; and whether it will be before the end of the year.

lord o'shaughnessy: As an ageing society, we need to reach a longer-term sustainable settlement for social care and we recognise that parliamentary colleagues will wish to engage thoroughly in the debate following publication. Therefore, given wider events, we will be publishing the Adult Social Care Green Paper at the earliest opportunity in the new year.

Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs

lord ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) drug, and (2) alcohol rehabilitation services are currently commissioned in each prison in England and Wales.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England does not hold the information requested centrally. NHS England is responsible for commissioning healthcare in all prisons in England. This includes integrated substance misuse services. Commissioning of primary healthcare, mental health and substance misuse services is carried out by local Health and Justice commissioning teams, of which there are 10 across England. The Welsh Assembly Government and Local Health Boards are responsible for commissioning substance misuse services in public sector prisons in Wales.

NHS: Negligence

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of clinical negligence cases result in a legal action being (1) issued, and (2) decided by the courts; and, in the cases decided by a court, in what proportion the claimant fully, or partially, succeeds.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.NHS Resolution has provided the following information which is based on information for clinical negligence cases resolved in 2017-18.Of the 11,896 clinical negligence cases that were resolved in 2017-18: - 3,845 (32.4%) had proceedings issued;- 76 of the 3,845 cases went to trial (representing around 2% of those clinical negligence cases where proceedings had been issued); and- 28 of the 76 cases that went to trial in 2017-18 resulted in the claimant being successful (i.e. the claimant was awarded damages in 37% of cases). Notes:- Proceedings may need to be issued in claims where there are no substantive issues in dispute but the court’s approval of the settlement is required (for cases where the claimant lacks capacity – e.g. minors).- A claim is defined as successful where the claimant is awarded damages. NHS Resolution is unable to report on whether or not a claimant is partially successful – a claim is either successful or not. It should be noted that, in most cases, the claimant does not receive everything that was claimed for given the nature of clinical negligence litigation. The extent to which the final award is a departure from what was claimed for depends on an array of factors that impact on each party’s view of the risks inherent in pursuing the issue(s) to trial.

Department for Education

School Meals: Standards

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to update school food standards following new recommendations on sugar and carbohydrate consumption; and how they will encourage schools to comply with these standards.

lord agnew of oulton: We are currently working with Public Health England to update the school food standards. The update will be accompanied by detailed guidance to caterers and schools to help them adapt to the changes. Further details will be available shortly.

Academies

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they give to "orphan" schools, pending their adoption by another academy sponsor; and how many of those schools are currently awaiting adoption.

lord agnew of oulton: When an academy transfers from one trust to another, it will receive support from either the preferred incoming trust or, where a new sponsor has yet to be identified, another expert provider. Regional Schools Commissioners are responsible for brokering this support, which could come from, for example, a teaching school or a National Leader of Education. Alongside this, grant funding may be available to support the transfer

Academies

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many multi academy trusts have been obliged to give up some or all of their schools.

lord agnew of oulton: In the financial year 2017-18, 255 academies moved trust. Of these, 62 (24%) were due to intervention.A trust transfer may be initiated by the department because of concerns about the academy or the academy trust responsible for it, for example: performance, finance, leadership and governance or safeguarding.

Academies

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the difference in their definition of (1) a Free School, and (2) an Academy School.

lord agnew of oulton: An academy is a school or educational institution run by an academy trust that has a funding agreement with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. They are established and run in accordance with the Academies Act 2010. All free schools are academies. All free schools are new institutions. In 2010, the government established the free schools programme where proposers apply directly to the department to open a new academy known as a free school. In addition, Section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires that, where a local authority thinks there is a need for a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish an academy. Since 2015, schools opening through this process have also been called free schools.

Department for International Trade

EU External Trade: Trade Agreements

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government which nations that have trade agreements with the EU have (1) agreed, and (2) refused to allow the UK to continue to benefit from those agreements during the implementation period.

baroness fairhead: Discussions with all partner countries have demonstrated a commitment to finding a pragmatic way to ensure continuity of our existing international agreements.Alongside the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU agreed to notify its treaty partners that the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of EU international agreements during the IP. This includes trade agreements. A number (including Canada, Chile, Israel, Switzerland, and groupings such as the Southern African Customs Union and Eastern and Southern Africa EPA States) have already publicly welcomed this approach (Library deposit of 13 September DEP2018-0926 provides a list of countries). Others are, understandably, waiting for the notification to be issued before responding formally. We are working closely with our trading partners to ensure that there would be no disruption to trade as we move into the Implementation Period. Notwithstanding our expectation that there will be an Implementation Period, the government will continue to do the responsible thing and prepare for all eventualities with partner countries, including a ‘no deal’ scenario.

Overseas Trade: USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that the United States’ economy may be heading into a recession, and (2) the impact this could have on UK–US trade.

baroness fairhead: HMG is continually monitoring developments in the US economy, which have a substantial influence on the global economy and directly impact on UK-US trade. In line with the IMF’s forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility expects US GDP growth of 2.9 and 2.5 per cent in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The US is the UK’s largest trading partner and the UK’s top export destination. Our trading relationship is worth over £180bn a year including almost £112 billion in UK exports of goods and services to the US in 2018.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

lord horam: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how communities could engage with the planning of developments built by an expansion of permitted development rights to include demolitions.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We are currently consulting on the scope and potential impacts of a permitted development right to allow for demolition of commercial buildings and replacement build as residential. This provides an opportunity for communities to provide comment on what the scope of any right might be, and the local considerations through matters for prior approval on which communities may comment.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether thesites considered for the National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre meet the specifications in the paper by the UK National Holocaust MemorialFoundation National Memorial and Learning Centre: Search for a Central London Site, published in September 2015, in particular that the site should provide (1) a place where people can pay their respects, contemplate, think and offer prayer, (2) a lecture theatre and classrooms, (3) offices for holocaust educational organisations, and (4) space for gatherings of up to 500 people for commemorative events.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The document, National Memorial and Learning Centre: Search for a Central London Site, was published by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation as part of extensive efforts to identify a suitable location for the Memorial and Learning Centre, which also included a thorough search of Central London by property experts CBRE.More than 50 locations were considered; detailed information supporting the assessment of each site is commercially confidential. The Foundation identified Victoria Tower Gardens as the most fitting site in terms of its historical, emotional and political significance and its ability to offer the greatest potential impact and visibility for the project.The Government accepted the Foundation’s advice and the Prime Minister announced in January 2016 that Victoria Tower Gardens was the chosen location, Hansard 27 January 2016 col 259. An international design competition was launched in September 2016, seeking proposals for a Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

Sleeping Rough

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest figures for the number of rough sleepers in England; and what progress has been made on implementing their rough sleeping strategy announced on 13 August and its ambition to halve the number of those sleeping rough by 2022 and to end it altogether by 2027.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The latest rough sleeping figures for the number of rough sleepers in England is the 2017 annual count, available (attached) online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2017 . Results of the 2018 annual count will be released in January 2019. Following the publication of the Rough Sleeping Strategy in August, significant work has been underway across departments to deliver the commitments made. I was pleased to recently publish (attached) a delivery plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rough-sleeping-strategy-delivery-plan ) setting out progress to date and key milestones in the coming months. In 2019 we will publish the first annual update to the strategy, building on our existing work and delivering new interventions where our evidence shows they are needed.The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why this summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.



Rough Sleeping figures
(PDF Document, 1.04 MB)




Rough Sleeping delivery plan
(PDF Document, 321.11 KB)

Retail Trade

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a decline in shopper footfall on UK high street stores.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Over the last five years high street footfall across the UK has fallen by an average of 1.6 per cent each year. This represents a consistent but relatively slow decline in high street footfall nationally. We know that footfall trends vary greatly from place to place, with some towns faring much better than others.High streets are a crucial part of our communities. The Government is determined to see our high streets thriving, both now and in the future. We want to see vibrant hubs where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.This is why we have announced Our Plan for the High Street at budget. This includes cutting business rates by a third for up to 90 per cent of retail properties for two years, a High Streets Task Force to support local leadership, consultation on planning reform and a register of empty properties.To support the long-term adaptation of high streets, we are creating a £675 million Future High Streets Fund. We will be publishing a prospectus for the Fund shortly.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord turnbull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current area of the Victoria Tower Gardens; what area will be taken up by the Holocaust Memorial and associated works; and what area will remain for recreational use.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The current area of Victoria Tower Gardens is 18,848m2 . The Memorial will take up 1387m2 which is approximately 7 per cent of the park; the remaining area will be publicly accessible.

Religious Hatred

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 5 December (HL11727), what support they will give to Nissar Hussain and his family and others who have left the Islamic faith and are facing persecution in the UK.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government reiterates that everyone in Britain has the right to feel safe and at ease in the place where they live. Any individual or group is free to express views and beliefs, but have a duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights as defined by the law. Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, democracy, the rule of law, and equal rights define us as a society, and the Government is determined to promote these values. Britain has a strong legal framework in place to deal with hate crimes, and these must be reported to the police.

Local Government: Standards

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the briefing paper by the Centre for Public Scrutiny and LocalisDecline and fall: understanding how and why local government fails, what leads to central Government intervention, and what comes after, published on 10 December.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We have read the interim report by the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Localis, and welcome the approach that they have outlined in their paper. We note that the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Localis are planning further research in 2019, and look forward to reading their final report.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the effectiveness of the Northern Powerhouse strategy following the resignation of the mayor of Liverpool from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Northern Powerhouse Partnership is a non-political organisation, and independent of government. Mayor Joe Anderson’s decision to resign from the partnership is a private matter between him and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families left homeless after the Grenfell Tower fire are still not in permanent accommodation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: There are 201 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk requiring rehousing following the Grenfell Tower fire. As of 17 December, the latest data from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea shows that of the 201 households, 193 households have accepted an offer of permanent accommodation and 161 of these have moved in. There are 40 remaining households yet to move into permanent accommodation. 22 of these households are living in high quality temporary accommodation and 18 households are living in emergency accommodation (9 in hotels, 8 in serviced apartments and 1 household is living with family). Every household has a suitable property reserved for them. I expect the Council to continue to support households to move into permanent accommodation as quickly as possible.

Department for Work and Pensions

Mesothelioma: Compensation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether the number of civil compensation awards in mesothelioma cases have increased, and (2) whether such awards provide funds for diverse treatments that are not available on the NHS; and whether they intend to review the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme to ensure that it provides a similar level of awards and treatment options.

baroness buscombe: Information is collected on the number of personal injury claims made in the courts overall but it is not broken down between individual types of injury or disease. Statistics recording the number of civil compensation claims made in mesothelioma cases or of the awards or settlements resulting from them are not available.In line with commitments made during the passage of the Mesothelioma Bill, the Department for Work and Pensions, which has responsibility for the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS), intends to review the DMPS payment tariffs in due course to ensure payments made under the Scheme are maintained at an appropriate level.

Poverty

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty 2018, published on 4 December.

baroness buscombe: The figure quoted by the Joseph Rowntree Trust in this report is taken from official national statistics on the number and proportion of people in low income published by the Department for Work in March 2018. These statistics show that there are one million fewer people living in absolute poverty since 2010, including 300,000 children. Whichever way you look at overall poverty – relative or absolute, before or after housing costs, none are higher than 2010- in fact three are lower.This Government believes that the best way of tackling poverty is by building a strong economy and getting people into work. Adults in workless families are around 4 times more likely to be in poverty than those in working families. Children in workless households are around 5 times more likely to be in poverty after housing costs than those where all adults work. Nationally, there are now over 3.3 million more people in work, around 964,000 fewer workless households, and around 637,000 fewer children living in such households compared with 2010. This is why we will continue with our reforms to the welfare system so that it encourages work whilst supporting those who need help.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Imports

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a reduction in ferry services between Doverand Calais on the import of perishable goods, including food suppliesin the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario has been under way for almost two years and we are taking necessary steps to ensure trade flows continue to operate smoothly from the day we leave the EU. We want to see cross-Channel trade continue to move as freely as possible but it is right that as a responsible government we also work on a range of contingency plans to deal with any disruption. Department for Transport is working closely with the Border Delivery Group to ensure a joint understanding of the possible impacts on ports and airports throughout the country of the UK’s departure from the EU in a number of scenarios. This work is informing local resilience planning and involving national Government bodies where needed. The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry to mitigate disruption, and we will be using these to support preparations for leaving the EU. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products.

Home Office

Terrorism

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken in response to the study prepared for the Special Committee on Terrorism of the European Parliament on member states’ preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, published in April.

baroness williams of trafford: HMG has a comprehensive CBRN Strategy under CONTEST and works closely with the EU Commission on the plan to enhance preparedness against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear security risks. We welcome the Special Committee study and will continue to engage with the council and share where possible UK best practice in this area through our CBRN Security Coordinator.

Treasury

Shares: Sales

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the practice whereby shares lent for short selling are sold without the explicit knowledge of the beneficial owner, and (2) whether regulatory authorities are able to ensure that those using this practice comply with relevant legislation.

lord bates: This practice is regulated under the terms of the EU’s Securities Financing Transactions Regulation and the UK Money Markets Code. The European Supervisory Authorities, Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England are responsible for enforcing the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Television: Licensing

lord borwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 3 December (HL11702), how many individuals were (1) cautioned, (2) charged, and (3) convicted by the TV Licensing Organisation as a result of non-payment of the BBC licence fee in each of the last three years.

lord ashton of hyde: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not hold this information. Issues relating to non-payment of the licence fee are a matter for the BBC as a body independent from the government.

Sports: Russia

lord moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the decisionmade by the World Anti-Doping Agency Executive Committee in September to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

lord moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Russia has met all the criteria for re-compliance and re-entry into international sports competition as outlined in the McClaren Reports,The Independent Person Report, published on 18 July 2016, andThe Independent Person 2nd Report, published on 9 December 2016,including acceptance of the condition that an institutional doping regime was operated at events including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the requirement toallow access to the Moscow laboratory for(1) international inspection, and (2) the analysis of samples and electronic data.

lord ashton of hyde: At its meeting on 20 September 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee made a decision to reinstate RUSADA (Russia's Anti-Doping Agency), following a recommendation made by WADA's independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC). WADA's decision to reinstate RUSADA is subject to two strict post-reinstatement conditions: RUSADA and the Russian Ministry of Sport must procure that the authentic Information Management System (LIMS) data and underlying analytical data of the former Moscow Laboratory set out in the WADA President's letter of 22 June 2018 are received by WADA (via access to the data by an independent expert agreeable to both WADA and the Russian authorities) by no later than 31 December 2018.RUSADA and the Russian Ministry of Sport must procure that any re-analysis of samples required by WADA following review of such data is completed by no later than 30 June 2019. Athletes and fans having faith in clean sport is vitally important, and the UK Government remains fully committed to combating doping in sport and protecting the integrity of sport. Should there be any failure to do so, we expect WADA to swiftly determine non-compliance under the relevant sanctioning provisions as set out under the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS).

World Anti-doping Agency

lord moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the independence of the Word Anti-Doping Agency in terms of its (1) structure, (2) governance, and (3) protections against conflicts of interest.

lord ashton of hyde: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Foundation Board adopted a range of recommendations made by its Governance Working Group on 15 November 2018. The Government welcomes the changes adopted by WADA to strengthen its governance structures through greater independence and better protection against conflicts of interest. WADA must, however, must ensure that additional reforms, including strengthening the athlete voice, are considered by a new Working Group going forward.

Television: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a system of parental guidance for television dramas and films broadcast after the 9pm watershed.

lord ashton of hyde: Ofcom, the independent broadcast regulator, takes the protection of children and young people very seriously. Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code contains stringent rules to ensure that under eighteens are effectively protected from harm. The Broadcasting Code and guidance advises broadcasters to various ways they can warn audiences about graphic content or content likely to offend. In addition, there are a range of audience protection tools, including programme scheduling information, mandatory PIN protections, as well as the 9pm watershed, that parents and guardians can use to ensure that children are protected from broadcast content that is unsuitable for them. The watershed is an effective way to protect children from unsuitable content. A recent Ofcom survey found that 60% of parents think 9pm is the right time for adult content to be shown on television and that 89% of people understand what the watershed is. However, protections do not cease at 9pm. The transition to more adult material must not be unduly abrupt and the strongest material should appear later in the evening.

Sports: Drugs

lord moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions are in place for pre-meditated doping in professional sport; whether those sanctions are comparable to sanctions in place for fraud offences; and what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of such sanctions when used.

lord ashton of hyde: UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an Arm's Length Body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) implements the UK’s Anti-Doping Policy, which in the most serious cases, and for repeat offences, can impose life-bans for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). There remains the opportunity, if evidence indicates, to work in partnership with law enforcement to investigate a case where a criminal offence may have been committed, and thus criminal sanctions may apply.

Gambling: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available to young people under the age of 18 for gambling addiction from (1) the NHS, (2) educational services, and (3) other public service providers.

lord ashton of hyde: Children whose gambling is associated with other addictions or mental health issues can access treatment for those conditions in NHS primary and secondary care. In addition, dedicated treatment for gambling disorders is commissioned by the charity GambleAware. This includes the National Gambling Helpline and a national network of treatment services which are accessible across Great Britain. Most people accessing services are over 18 but they are available to people of any age, including young people. GambleAware also funds the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic, with a second clinic due to open in Leeds in April 2019. GambleAware’s delivery plan for 2018-20 aligns with strategic priorities set by the regulator, the Gambling Commission, and its expert advisors on research, education and treatment, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB). The delivery plan includes developing and promoting a ‘knowledge hub’ of resources and guidance for teachers and those who work with young people, as well as working with agencies that support young people’s mental health and supporting parents to have conversations with children. Schools are expected to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and some teach about gambling and addiction as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association, includes teaching about gambling (including online) and its psychological and financial impact. The Department for Education’s consultation on Relationships, Sex and Health Education, including draft content on online behaviour and mental wellbeing, closed on 7 November. The Department is currently analysing responses to the consultation before finalising regulations and guidance.

Football: Racial Discrimination

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with sports authorities to help reduce discriminatory abuse in UK soccer following several recent reports of alleged racial abuse.

lord ashton of hyde: Tackling discrimination is at the heart of the cross-government sport strategy "Sporting Future" and we want sport to be at the forefront of equality. We fully support a zero tolerance stance and we will continue to work with National Governing Bodies of Sport and organisations such as Kick It Out, Stonewall and Women in Football to tackle discrimination in local, national and international sport.